Strawberry and Banana Four Grain Granola

You know the bulk bin area at the grocery store? You know, the area where they have all the crazy nuts, different flours, dried fruits and oats. THAT place is my absolute favorite section.

I feel like my brain goes into overdrive and all I wanna do is try all sorts of stuff I’d never normally think to cook with. It’s inspiration central. It’s also the place where people loooove sticking their entire hands into the bins so they can try a little bit of this or that. WHY?! Not ok. As a society we should be a little better than this. I mean, at least use the scooper!

Right now I’m having a moment with freeze dried strawberries. I blame the astronaut ice cream I loved eating whenever we took family trips to the space museum. If you’re new to the world of freeze dried fruit, it has the same exact texture as the astro ice cream but a totally different flavor. Think strawberries in overdrive. Yes, it’s magical.

I love mixing up the grains in granola.

This combo includes (from left to right): barley flakes, wheat flakes, rye flakes and oat flakes.

Rather than buying big bags of each, I headed to the bulk bin section and ended up spending a few dollars for all of them. It’s a place where you can get just what you need.

The four grains add such nice flavor to this granola. Also, sticking to this particular combo isn’t necessary. Use what you’re curious about or use what you like.

A lot of granola recipes call for melted butter, but honestly I kind of like just using straight up olive oil. I’ve found that I don’t need the extra added butter. And sometimes it’s kind of nice to just take a butter break. We all need a butter break from time to time.

After the granola is baked with maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, a few spices and some salt, it gets tossed with dried banana chips and the freeze dried strawberries.

The strawberry flavor is intense! And the banana chips are sweet and actually taste so much like banana they almost don’t taste real. The different variety of flakes gives this granola such a great nuttiness that I think the almonds could be totally optional.

I ate this granola on top of some tangy Greek yogurt with a heavy drizzle of honey. This granola reminded me why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the oat flakes, barley flakes, rye flakes, wheat flakes and brown sugar. Set aside.

3. To a small saucepan, mix together the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Cook over medium heat for about a minute, until the salt is dissolved and the oil looks glossy. In two batches, add the olive oil mixture to the flake mixture, tossing the granola each time to ensure it’s evenly distributed.

4. Spread the granola onto the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing it once at the 10-minute mark. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Toss it with the almond slivers, banana chips and freeze dried strawberries. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Serve atop a bowl of yogurt and a drizzle of honey–it’s the move!

1) breakfast is also my favorite. 2) that section is also my favorite, yet sadly here in italy things like that are just not the norm. i miss american supermarkets! until i’m back in one, i’ll be making this with the oats i can find here! YUM.

Thanks for sharing this recipe! I totally get the freeze-dried strawberry thing. Love them too! And astronaut food is just too much fun (if you don’t have to eat it for months, I’m guessing). I’m thinking of embarking on my own adventures into granola once I have finished my shop bought one – they are so expensive ready made, I’m going to see if I can’t make it less expensive and also like the idea of knowing exactly how much sugar and salt I’m adding in

I get that same giddy feeling in the bulk bins too; wild-eyed, staring at everything with my brain spinning out potential for it all. I need twice the pantry space to accommodate all this goodness. We’re somewhat stuffed to bursting as it is.

I LOVE this idea of using different grains for granola. We’ve been on a HUGE granola kick, but I’ve only used oats for it, not even thinking -duh!- that those other flakes would be an awesome addition. I’m a dope. Thanks for the inspiration. I’ll switch it up for our next batch.

I have a question that I’ve been meaning to ask for a while. Is that pretty little honey dipper thing really a big pain in the butt, but so pretty that you use it anyways? Is it hard to clean? It looks so pretty and rustic and I want one, but I just can’t see it being practical. Is it just for pictures?

You know, right now I just use it for pictures but my ultimate dream is to have a really pretty bowl on my counter filled with honey and that little thing sitting in the bowl. I want it so whenever I’m drinking tea I can just use it to add some honey. It has yet to happen.

Yum! I love the idea of using all those different grains together. I am also someone who feels butter in granola is overkill. I usually use canola or grapeseed, but olive oil would be good in a granola like this, where you have the fruit to cut some of the savory aspects of the oil. Yummers!

i love making granola. i make a huge batch at least twice a month and love using either coconut oil or olive oil… i agree with you on the butter break… it is a necessary move every now and then!
i love this recipe you are sharing… everytime i make granola, i usually go for the same dried fruit add-ons which can be one or a combination of raisin/cranberry/apricot. freeze dried strawberries and banana chips in granola are completely new to me. i love both of these things and i see a need for me to mix these in my granola batches SOON!

I love this mixture so so much! Bananas and Strawberries are my absolute favourite. I don’t think we have such a variety at out supermarkets here. Those bins usually carry pickles and stale nuts. But for me, the best part would be the bulk bin section for assorted spices. I buy mine there. But I digress. Maybe later in the year when I get myself to Australia, I’ll try to look out for their bulk section.

LOVE the four grain idea – just posted some Dark Chocolate Coconut Oil Granola today, but never thought to use other grains with the oats. I get absolutely giddy in the bulk isles and my husband thinks i’m a little nuts.